- December 14, 2024
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Crime in Flagler County is at the lowest it has been in 25 years: In 2016, there were 1,867 victims of crime in the county, but in 2022, there were only 877, Sheriff Rick Staly said at the sixth annual Addressing Crime Together community meeting on April 6.
“Since 2017 — since I was elected sheriff — crime in Flagler County is down 54%,” Staly said. “… That’s still 877 too many. No crime is acceptable.”
The decrease in crime is inverse to the county’s recent uptick in population: Flagler County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state.
And despite the drop in crime, inmate numbers are rising. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is set to house, on average, over 300 inmates daily for 2023, according to the sheriff — down from 128 people in 2016, and 275 in 2022.
Since 2017 — since I was elected sheriff — crime in Flagler County is down 54%. — Rick Staly, Flagler County Sheriff's Office
The FCSO is the full-service law enforcement agency in the county, supporting the Bunnell and Flagler Beach Police Departments, and is the law enforcement agency for Palm Coast.
In January, the Sheriff’s Office opened the new Operations Center where the A.C.T. meeting was hosted.
Staly said he credits a combination of tactics for keeping crime down, including probation checks, license plate readers and other tactics and specialized programs and units like the Problem Area Crime Enforcement Unit and Real Time Crime Center.
Overall, the FCSO received 117,931 service calls in 2022, according to data from the FCSO’s 2022 annual report. Flagler County also saw 2,172 no-injury crashes in 2022 and 28 fatality crashes — up from 14 fatalities in 2021.
“The state roadways are the deadliest in Flagler County, and we see that historically,” Staly said.
The sheriff said the FCSO’s license plate readers and rapid identification programs catch everything from expired tags to fugitives.
Employees managing that information prioritize based on the severity of the infraction.
“We have to triage that so that we handle the more serious stuff,” Staly said.
The county’s license plate readers led to 105 arrests, nine found missing persons, 39 recovered stolen vehicles, 36 fugitives arrested and 17 recovered stolen tags in 2022.
Staly and FCSO deputies have also been targeting distracted driving.
In 2022, 40% of all the crashes were because of distracted driving; in just the three months of 2023, that number is at 52%, Staly said.
The FCSO has started working with local police departments and the Florida Highway Patrol to fight distracted driving. “Operation: Wreck-LESS” began in February to crack down on traffic infractions.
So far, there have been three once-monthly coordinated efforts, with the most recent, on April 6, yielding 69 traffic stops and 38 citations, according to an announcement on the FCSO Facebook page.
Staly said traffic is one of residents’ biggest concerns.
“We strictly enforce — and I encourage all my deputies to enforce — the traffic laws” Staly said. “That’s really our biggest quality of life complaint, is traffic complaints
The FCSO is expected to receive two awards in 2023.
In May, the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Correction Facility will receive the 2023 American Jail Association Innovation Award because of its inmate rehabilitation programs, Staly said.
The county jail offers several programs for inmates, included substance abuse programs and certification programs that help inmates find jobs when they leave the jail.
“I like having a law-and-order image,” Staly said, “but if I can help an inmate turn their life around and become a productive citizen, then that would be my preference.”
I like having a law-and-order image, but if I can help an inmate turn their life around and become a productive citizen, then that would be my preference. — Rick Staly, Flagler County Sheriff
By the end of 2023, the FCSO could be a five-diamond accredited agency.
The Flagler County Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility’s medical services should receive accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, Staly said.
“Most of our inmates don’t have good health when they come in,” Staly said. “So, our inmates tend to be higher risk to begin with. And so to have our jail’s medical … be nationally accredited, is a huge accomplishment.”
The FCSO currently holds accreditations from the Florida Telecommunications Accreditation Commission, Florida Commission on Law Enforcement Accreditation, the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission and the National Institute of Ethics.
So far this year, the number of crashes is trending down — though, Staly said, that could change at any time.
Staly said he and his officers have a meeting each week to analyze data on crime and spot trends.
So far in 2023, he said, there has been an increase in residential burglaries, larceny, robbery and domestic violence cases.
Many of the residential burglaries are at construction sites, he said — people stealing appliances or materials from unsecured, under-construction homes.
Staly said the FCSO has already seen an increase in domestic violence cases: At this time last year, there were 71 domestic cases, but there have been 108 so far in 2023.
With larceny and robberies also on the rise, Staly asked the community to help deputies by securing valuables.
“The problem with driving crime down 54% and a community feeling very safe is they don’t think that you have to do your part to prevent crime,” Staly said. “I encourage the community to take partnership with us and lock your stuff up.”
